The Corporate Couch: Work Stories I Only Tell My Friends

Andre Davis (Part I), The Ultimate Relationship Builder - Your True Worth, Giving More Value Than You Receive, and Being Impactful

André Davis is the Corporate and Community Engagement Executive for Built Interior Construction, a prefabricated interior construction company that builds commercial environments.
André is an accomplished thought leader, influencer, social activist, mentor/coach, speaker, and philanthropist and has been a guest on numerous podcasts & webinars to discuss various topics.  Andre has over 20+ years of experience working with CEOs, Executives, and Entrepreneurs while continuing to give back to the community. 
André's community and civic engagement work are below:
*Board Member for PrepKC which creates and implements strategies to improve college and career preparation for Kansas City's urban High School Students. 
*Ambassador Board Member for Big Brothers Big Sisters - Kansas City, where he and other members personally fund and award scholarships to local kids in the BBBS program.
* Board Member/Board President for the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City - Kansas City Tomorrow Alumni Association (KCTAA) which serves to support Members who are interested in enhancing their non-profit and civic leadership skills & talents.
* Formerly, a Board Member for UMKC - Marketing Advisory Council (MAC )where he helps to prepare Undergraduates that are entering the field of Marketing.
* Founding Board Member for The Beacon which is a newly launched Non-Profit online news media outlet, focused on public interest journalism.  * Board Member for C3KC Conference (Corporate, Civic, Community), the Junior League's annual collaborative conference which serves to spark change for a better Kansas City.                        
*Formerly Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Board for Big Brothers Big Sisters – Kansas City which was created to identify diverse Mentors of Color.
* Awarded the Jane Bryan Distinguished Alumni Award by the Grandview Education Foundation. This award honors Individuals whose deeds and character exemplify outstanding achievement in their life's work and/or service to their communities.  The Honoree's spirit and leadership are worthy of recognition and have inspired praise and gratitude amongst his/her peers.
* Recently awarded Ingram's Magazine 2022 Local Heroes Award which recognizes extraordinary philanthropic work in our region and was featured in their 26th annual Philanthropy Special Edition.
*Chosen for the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, Kansas City Tomorrow leadership program which serves to develop leaders for civic, community, and non-profit engagement
*An alumnus of The Independent Magazine, Rising Star Award which serves to highlight up and coming Leaders. 
*Co-Founded and personally funds The NexTus scholarship at his Alma Mater College geared towards African-American students.
Additional information:
André's roots started on the East Coast but He was raised in Kansas City.  André is married to an Entrepreneur and they live in Johnson County with their two kids. 
You can connect with André on the following social platforms:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreldavis/Twitter:  @AndreLDavis
Please enjoy the conversation with Andre!

Alana Muller (Part II), Entrepreneurial Connector - Writing the Book on Networking, Crazy & Stupid Decisions, and Inspiring Community

Alana Muller (Coffee Lunch Coffee) is an entrepreneurial executive leader whose primary focus is to connect, inspire and empower community.  She is the former President of Kauffman FastTrac (a division of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation), a global provider of training to aspiring and established entrepreneurs, providing them the tools, resources and networks to start and grow successful businesses. Additionally, Alana spent a number of years as an executive with Sprint Corporation serving in a variety of general management roles, including marketing, talent management, corporate strategy and wireless data product marketing.  
Today, Alana is founder and CEO of Coffee Lunch Coffee where she is a networking speaker, strategist, workshop facilitator, coach and an internationally bestselling author of Coffee Lunch Coffee: A Practical Field Guide for Master Networking, the anthology Growth – Deconstructing GRIT Collection, and a blog, CoffeeLunchCoffee.com. Her accessible, relevant, immediately actionable approach to professional networking for those interested in connecting with others, getting involved in their communities, seeking to advance their careers or looking to build social relationships, has helped thousands of people formulate a strategic mindset around Networking.  Coffee Lunch Coffee is a WBENC-Certified WBE.  
Alana is also Community Director for American Public Square at Jewell, an organization that brings together non-like-minded people to engage in civil conversation about controversial topics, for which she launched KC Common Good, now a standalone 501(c)3, designed to give all members of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area access to hope and opportunity while reducing violence.  
Alana enjoys connecting with people around the world and sharing stories on topics such as Networking, Executive Presence, and Discovering Purpose.  She is the host of Enterprise.ing podcast, a columnist for American City Business Journals’ BizWomen.com and other publications, has been a contributor to Forbes.com, The Huffington Post and CNBC, and, twice, was a featured speaker at TEDxOverlandPark.
Alana has a master’s degree in business administration with concentrations in General Management and Strategy from the University of Chicago, where she was the recipient of the Mike and Karen Herman Fellowship for Women in Entrepreneurship, and an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Smith College. She is actively engaged in the community and serves on a number of corporate and volunteer boards including Oppenstein Brothers Foundation, Enterprise Bank (NASDAQ: EFSC), ISCTE International Business School (Lisbon, Portugal), Morningstar Communications, Swartz + Associates, SevenDays, Jewish Community Foundation, and Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee. Alana is the immediate past president of the Kansas Chapter of International Women’s Forum.  She is an alumna of Coro Kansas City and the Civic Council’s Kansas City Tomorrow program.  She was recognized as the 2019 JCRB|AJC Emerging Leader, the 2017 Instructor of the Year by the Turner Construction Management Program, a 2013 NextGen Leader by the Kansas City Business Journal and a 2012 Influential Woman by KC Business magazine.  Alana is a Strengthscope-certified coach.
 
Enjoy part II of my conversation with Alana!

Alana Muller (Part I), Entrepreneurial Connector - Writing the Book on Networking, Crazy & Stupid Decisions, and Inspiring Community

Alana Muller (Coffee Lunch Coffee) is an entrepreneurial executive leader whose primary focus is to connect, inspire and empower community.  She is the former President of Kauffman FastTrac (a division of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation), a global provider of training to aspiring and established entrepreneurs, providing them with the tools, resources, and networks to start and grow successful businesses. Additionally, Alana spent a number of years as an executive with Sprint Corporation serving in a variety of general management roles, including marketing, talent management, corporate strategy and wireless data product marketing.  
Today, Alana is founder and CEO of Coffee Lunch Coffee where she is a networking speaker, strategist, workshop facilitator, coach and an internationally bestselling author of Coffee Lunch Coffee: A Practical Field Guide for Master Networking, the anthology Growth – Deconstructing GRIT Collection, and a blog, CoffeeLunchCoffee.com. Her accessible, relevant, immediately actionable approach to professional networking for those interested in connecting with others, getting involved in their communities, seeking to advance their careers or looking to build social relationships, has helped thousands of people formulate a strategic mindset around Networking.  Coffee Lunch Coffee is a WBENC-Certified WBE.  
Alana is also Community Director for American Public Square at Jewell, an organization that brings together non-like-minded people to engage in civil conversation about controversial topics, for which she launched KC Common Good, now a standalone 501(c)3, designed to give all members of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area access to hope and opportunity while reducing violence.  
Alana enjoys connecting with people around the world and sharing stories on topics such as Networking, Executive Presence, and Discovering Purpose.  She is the host of Enterprise.ing podcast, a columnist for American City Business Journals’ BizWomen.com and other publications, has been a contributor to Forbes.com, The Huffington Post and CNBC, and, twice, was a featured speaker at TEDxOverlandPark.
Alana has a master’s degree in business administration with concentrations in General Management and Strategy from the University of Chicago, where she was the recipient of the Mike and Karen Herman Fellowship for Women in Entrepreneurship, and an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Smith College. She is actively engaged in the community and serves on a number of corporate and volunteer boards including Oppenstein Brothers Foundation, Enterprise Bank (NASDAQ: EFSC), ISCTE International Business School (Lisbon, Portugal), Morningstar Communications, Swartz + Associates, SevenDays, Jewish Community Foundation, and Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee. Alana is the immediate past president of the Kansas Chapter of International Women’s Forum.  She is an alumna of Coro Kansas City and the Civic Council’s Kansas City Tomorrow program.  She was recognized as the 2019 JCRB|AJC Emerging Leader, the 2017 Instructor of the Year by the Turner Construction Management Program, a 2013 NextGen Leader by the Kansas City Business Journal and a 2012 Influential Woman by KC Business magazine.  Alana is a Strengthscope-certified coach.
 
Please enjoy the conversation with Alana!

Dr. Michelle Robin, Visionary Community Healer - Listening to Your Heart, Struggling Every Day, and Evangelizing the Quadrants of Well-Being

Dr. Michelle Robin is the founder of Small Changes Big Shifts®, Big Shifts Foundation®, and the Kansas City Wellness Consortium®, but more importantly, she is a visionary for the well-being of many generations. After opening her chiropractic practice in Kansas City over 30 years ago, she’s become a national influence and memorable leader in the wellness industry. Her simple framework – called the Quadrants of Well-Being – is the key to what many people have been looking for when it comes to discovering their best life. She has spent the majority of her career helping people make small changes that ultimately create the biggest shifts in their well-being. As a chiropractor, author, teacher, holistic healer, podcast host, unshakable optimist, international speaker, and passionate advocate for generational change, Michelle has left an impression on thousands of lives by helping them find their unique path to wellness and enriching their purpose in life.
To find out more about Dr. Michelle Robin, please visit:
https://smallchangesbigshifts.com/
 
Enjoy the episode!

Eastman McGovern, Tech Sales Pioneer - Why Caddies and Athletes make Great Sales Reps, The Importance of Having a ”Rabbi”, Jobs vs. a Career

Eastman enjoyed a 35-year career in IT sales and sales management. Managing district, regional, as well as worldwide sales teams on both a domestic and international scope. His experiences include selling and managing for Fortune 500 companies as well as experience with start-up organizations.
In his career, Eastman estimates that he hired over 400 sales team members and interviewed in excess of 2000 candidates. His background includes direct sales as well as channel and distribution sales models. He was a part of 3 mergers where he integrated sales teams on a global basis as well as being part of senior management for a company that successfully completed its IPO. During his career, Eastman had P&L responsibility for North American divisions and managed sales goals in excess of $800 million in sales revenue.
He also had a great jump shot back in the day :-) Go Jaspers!
 
Please enjoy the episode!

Dave Patrick, Master Strategist - Super Bowl Commercials, Lessons from Being a Professional Golfer, and Adding Value to Every Conversation

Dave Patrick has over 30 years of marketing and sales experience including leadership positions at Procter & Gamble, Leo Burnett, Interpublic, and J Walter Thompson leading high-performance brand teams. He has created and led high-performance growth teams in the roles of CEO, President, COO, CMO, Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Sales Officer, and Group Account Director in intensely competitive categories including restaurant, hardware, electronics, professional services, telecommunications, analytics, automotive, beverage, toys, fashion, jewelry, golf, CPG, grocery, QSR, apparel, higher education, software, e-commerce, B2B, pet, tech, retail, real estate, and sports.
Leadership brands he helped impact include McDonald's, Procter & Gamble, Leo Burnett, Kraft, General Motors, Miller Lite, JWT, Sprint, Kellogg, Kroger, LG Electronics, Citgo, ToysRUs, Applebee's, Payless, Burger King, Interpublic, KFC, Ace Hardware, and Bridgestone-Firestone.As an entrepreneur, Dave’s built five successful companies including his most recent: High-Performance Marketing Boot Camps. Dave is currently a Partner at WizeWebz, a marketing +technology consulting firm.  Dave also teaches entrepreneurship, marketing, and advanced brand strategies in the MBA programs at the University of Missouri - Kansas City and the University of Kansas. 
 
You will enjoy the episode!

Brad Douglas, Go-Giver/Master Networker - Quitting Something You are Passionate About, Meeting the POTUS

Brad Douglas is a partner in PLX Corp, a consulting firm that works with boards, CEOs, and executive teams of both for-profit and non-profit organizations to help them solve problems and achieve their goals. He is a former CEO and a licensed attorney with a unique blend of both non-profit and corporate executive leadership experience. Areas of expertise include public affairs, government relations, business development, community relations, and communications.
He is a proven leader and is energized by helping people, leading teams, growing organizations, developing leaders, and building relationships. Following law school, Brad began his career in Washington, D.C., where he held roles as a lobbyist withdeep expertise in federal appropriations, a U.S. Senate staffer on Capitol Hill, and as the Director of the State of Missouri Office for the Governor of Missouri. He also worked for the White House at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as Deputy Administrator of Congressional and Legislative Affairs, eventually overseeing two-thirds of the agency’s operations. Brad came back to his home in Kansas City as the Midwest Regional Administrator for the White House Office of Small Business Advocacy and was then asked to also oversee the SBA’s regional offices in four states. He went on to lead Public Affairs in the corporate sector at Cerner Corporation in Kansas City before later moving to the non-profit sector as the head of Business Development for the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. He headed up sales for more than 10 years for two different businesses before being selected as the President and CEO of the trade association that supported over 180 credit unions across Kansas and Missouri, serving in that role for more than six years.
Brad has served and Chaired numerous boards, including his role as Director and Chairman of Community/America Credit Union in Kansas City and Chairman of ArtsKC, Kansas City’s Regional Arts Council.
 
Enjoy the episode!

Scott Havens, A Story of Grit and How Failure Can Be Fun - Having 1000 Mentors and Multiple Systems, Fear of Being a Loser, and Wearing Out Left Shoes

Scott Havens is a vice president at Hub International. After eight years in the insurance industry, he became a partner at Truss, one of Kansas City’s largest privately held insurance brokerages. In August of 2019, Truss sold to HUB International making Scott one of the youngest shareholders in North America for the largest privately held insurance brokerages in the world. The Kansas City Business Journal wrote an article in 2020 calling Scott the top connector in the city & a recipient of the 2020 NEXT GEN Business Leaders award. Ingram’s Magazine recognized Scott as 20 in their Twenties & 40 under 40. He runs 9 peer groups consisting of over 200+ C-Level executives. Scott sits on 5 not-for-profit boards along with running 2 popular Kansas City podcasts. He is an owner & partner in 4 private Speakeasies in the Kansas City Metro. 
Please enjoy!

Tabitha Scott, Evel Knievel to CEO - Facing Burnout, Eliminating ”The Shoulds”, Finding Clarity in a Remote Jungle, Using human dynamics to boost employee engagement

Tabitha Scott (https://speakerhub.com/speaker/tabitha-scott) is an award-winning author and speaker who helps inspire action, ignite change, and provide connection, direction, and power. With over 20 years of experience leading corporate innovation and sustainability, she was named by Industry Era as one of the Top 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders of 2022, is a thought leader on the 2023 Forbes Business Council, and her work was honored at the White House as part of its Energy Data Initiative.
Tabitha’s talks focus on the transformational power of human dynamics to create sustainable business growth and success. Also a bestselling author, she currently serves as Partner at Epic Pivot, advising on engagement, innovation, and cutting-edge leadership practices for large organizations. Tabitha recently led IT Strategy for a Fortune 400 Company during its record growth period. Formerly CEO of Cole Scott Group and Military Assistance Company, and SVP of Innovation & Sustainability at global companies Balfour Beatty Investments and Lend Lease Americas, she has deep experience leading purposeful business transformations. 
Tabitha is known for her groundbreaking expertise in leveraging the principles of modern and ancient energy bioscience to accelerate innovation, productivity, and success for organizations. She led efforts to create the world’s largest solar-powered community and initiated three “net zero” communities. Tabitha has published dozens of original works in leading industry publications, like Forbes, Success Magazine, the Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, the Encyclopedia of Energy Engineering and Technology, and CEO Magazine on energy, human dynamics, behavior change, and avoiding burnout.
You can find Tabitha's book "Trust Your Animal Instincts: Recharge Your Life & Ignite Your Power" on Amazon (https://a.co/d/5r0sD9c).
Enjoy!

Caroline Markel Hammond, Intentionally Fearless - An unbelievable story of domestic violence, resilience, and making a difference as the CEO of two organizations

Caroline Markel Hammond (www.carolinemarkelhammond.com) is the CEO and Founder of Safe In Harm’s Way, a Kansas City-based nonprofit and an online secure resource for people navigating the sadness, worries, lies, screaming, fear, and pain of domestic violence. Premiering last summer in Times Square, and spreading across the country, Caroline and her team launched two unique campaigns for diversified communities related to domestic violence, achieving one billion impressions and opportunities for immediate and actionable help. As CEO and Founder of Epizon Strategy Solutions, Caroline and her team create tailor-made solutions for employers within diversity, equity, and inclusion criteria related to profit, safety, retention, reward, and recruitment.  
As a survivor of domestic violence, plus revival from a death experience, Caroline uses storytelling to evoke change and has been featured on Oprah, Forbes, PBS, NPR, Ms. Magazine, M+M Magazine, national and regional television, and podcasts as an initiator to disrupt complacency within the domestic violence arena and overcoming adversity.